115. The priest greets the sick person and others present. One of the greetings in no 81 may be used.

A reverent setting for the Eucharist should be provided:

If communion is to take place during the rite, the priest then places the blessed sacrament on the table, and all join in adoration.

116. If it seems desirable, the priest may sprinkle the sick person and those present with holy water. One of the following may be used:

A) The Lord is our shepherd and leads us to streams of living water.

B) Like a stream in parched land, may the grace of the Lord refresh our lives.

C) Let this water call to mind our baptism into Christ, who by his death and resurrection has redeemed us.

These sprinkling acclamations are interesting. I don’t recall seeing them anywhere in the Order of Mass. The rite doesn’t assign psalms to use with them, but if you were asking, the obvious ones would be the 23rd for A, the 63rd for B, and perhaps the 118th for C: all appropriate for the sacrament at hand and all adding the paschal character to the celebration.

Among clergy in the readership, how many of you celebrate a sprinkling rite with the sick about to be anointed?

about Todd Flowerday

A Roman Catholic lay person, married (since 1996), with one adopted child (since 2001). I serve in worship and spiritual life in a midwestern university parish.

about John Donaghy

John is a lay missionary since 2007 with a parish in western Honduras. Before that he served in campus ministry and social justice ministry in Iowa. His ministry blog is http://hermanojuancito.blogspot.com

He also blogs reflections on the lectionary and saints/heroes/events of the date at http://walktheway.wordpress.com

He'll be a long-term contributor here analyzing the Latin American bishops' document from their 2007 Aparecida Conference.